No charges yet for man who killed woman on porch

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. - Protesters and civil-rights groups are calling for justice after a suburban Detroit homeowner fatally shot a 19-year-old black woman on his porch.

DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. — Protesters and civil-rights groups are calling for justice after a suburban Detroit homeowner fatally shot a 19-year-old black woman on his porch.

No charges have been filed after authorities said Renisha McBride of Detroit was killed by a shotgun blast to the face early last Saturday in Dearborn Heights. A man told investigators that he thought someone was trying to break into his home and accidentally discharged the gun, according to police.

McBride’s family said she likely approached the home to seek help after getting into a car accident nearby.

“She was shot in the front of the face, near the mouth,” Police Lt. James Serwatowski told the Detroit Free Press.

Friends and family filled a Detroit church yesterday for a three-hour funeral, which was closed to reporters.

Outside the service, an aunt, Kay Lumpkin, said McBride was a former cheerleader who graduated from Southfield High School in 2012.

The theme of the funeral “was, it’s a tragedy that didn’t have to happen and not to let this be swept under the rug,” Lumpkin said.

Police made a request for charges, but the Wayne County prosecutor’s office sent it back on Wednesday for additional investigation. A vigil was held that same day outside the home, and about 50 people rallied on Thursday outside the police department.

“It’s hard to … believe it’s an accident when a gun is in her face and the trigger is pulled,” the family’s attorney, Gerald Thurswell, told The Detroit News.

The 54-year-old homeowner hasn’t been arrested or named by police.

McBride’s death has drawn attention from civil-rights groups including the NAACP and the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network. They called for a thorough investigation.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.